This invention relates to printed circuit board connectors and, more particularly, to a printed circuit board connector having an integral ground plane.
A large number of multi-terminal high density connectors have been developed over the years for use in interconnecting multiple printed circuit boards. Many of these connectors have proven successful in interconnecting circuits carrying high level, low frequency signals. However, such connectors have generally been found to provide unacceptable performance in instances where the signals to be carried are either very low in amplitude or high in frequency.
One shortcoming of the prior art connectors of the type described above is the inability to provide a ground plane suitable for shielding between circuits. Such shielding is necessary to minimize both noise and cross coupling in circuits employing low amplitude or high frequency signals.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved printed circuit board connector.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a new printed circuit board connector suitable for use with low amplitude and high frequency signals.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a multi-terminal printed circuit board connector having an integral ground plane.